With the current suspension of the ATP and WTA Tours, we are opening up our US Open vault to bring you full match videos of classic encounters through the years in New York.
Watch on YouTube: Rafael Nadal vs. Dominic Thiem, 2018 US Open men's singles quarterfinals
If ever two tennis players could be called "gladiators," it was Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem in this 2018 epic. Trading the Colosseum for Arthur Ashe Stadium, both men fired and absorbed blow after blow across five sets and nearly five hours, until only one was left standing at 2:04 a.m.
Playing in his first US Open quarterfinal, Thiem roared out of the gates to take a rare 6-0 set off Nadal. It was no surprise to see Nadal fight back, and he slowly gained control of the match as the night wore on. Then, it was Thiem's turn to battle back.
These gladiators saved the best for last, rewarding the late-night Ashe crowd with a pair of tiebreaks in the fourth and fifth sets.
The complete match—all four hours, 49 minutes—is now available to watch on the US Open YouTube channel. For a coming attraction, view the match highlights below.
